We’ve all made mistakes and done things we’re not proud of. Missing the mark sometimes is part of being human. Thankfully, because of Jesus Christ, any skeletons we may be hiding in the closet don’t have to be an issue anymore. As believers, we no longer have to let our past paralyze us from moving ahead into our future.

Getting born again gives us an opportunity to start over. Accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior brings us into God’s family; receiving Jesus and believing on His name gives us the power to become children of God. We receive new identities in Christ, old things pass away, and we become new creatures in Him.

Paul, also known as the apostle of grace, refused to let his past hold him back from fulfilling God’s plan for him. Paul’s personal history was one of energetically persecuting and killing Christians. After his personal encounter with Jesus, Paul refused to associate with his old self. He could truthfully say he had wronged no man.

Despite his previous actions, Paul received God’s mercy. The undeserved, unmerited favor God showed Paul changed his life and made him a powerful minister of the Word. He wrote to the church at Philippi that although he hadn’t yet achieved perfection, he was pressing on toward the future and forgetting what lay behind. Paul had a past, but he refused to live there.

Likewise, it’s just as vital for us to forget what’s behind us. The devil is an expert at tying us down to our pasts and reminding us of our sins; he doesn’t want us to know that God’s plans for us are of peace, not evil, to give us hope and a future. God tells us to forget the former things because He’s about to do a new thing in our lives. If we’re willing to let go of our past, we’re free to reach out and claim bright, encouraging futures.

Prayer:

God, as Your children, our pasts are far less important to You than our futures. We’re no longer defined by our mistakes and sins, but by Your Word. Thank You for giving us hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

John 1:12

2 Corinthians 5:17

Acts 8:3

2 Corinthians 7:2

Philippians 3:12-14

Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV

Isaiah 43:18, 19